You'll Think of Me
by VampireRae
Summary: RemusHermione Hey everyone, I have re-written everything, though most of everything is the same, but feel free to re-read the chapters and to see if it's any better. I'm sorry for the very late update
1. Prelude

**A/N: I do not own anything, except maybe the plot. Otherwise all the characters you recognize are JKR's product of her imagination. Also, I have re-written everything, or actually, I have re-read the chapters I have written before, and I have gone back and fixed all the things that seemed _wrong_ at some point. But I hope you all enjoy the new You'll Think of Me.  
*hearts* Rae**

_A young woman with curly brown hair and honey colored eyes, stood outside of the heavy oak door that led to a classroom. She smoothed out her knee-length halter black dress. She sighed nervously. She was still nervous around the man she had spent four years of her life with. Her hand reached out for the door handle, but pulled it away quickly. She didn't know what to do. It has been at least a year since she actually saw him. She fought with herself for a while, debating if she wanted to see him or not._

'It has been a year. Do you actually think he still loves you and wants to see him?' she thought bitterly. 'Obviously he doesn't love me anymore and why would he want to see me? I was the one that broke his heart. This is a stupid idea. Why did I come in the first place?'

With a sad sigh, she turned around and started to walk back down the cold stone hallway. She was about to turn the corner when she heard the oak door open. She stopped, frozen in her place by the sound of the creaking door.

_'Don't turn around; just keep walking. Ignore him; just ignore him. You don't need him, just like before. And he sure doesn't need you.'_

"Hermione?" a low smooth voice said. Hermione shuddered. His voice still sent the chills up her spine.

"Hermione? Is that you?" the voice said again.

Hermione didn't answer. She was afraid to answer or turn around. She heard footsteps behind her. 'Oh no. He's coming down the hall. C'mon Hermione, just keep walking. But I can't! I still love him, but I don't want to break his heart again. Oh just give it a rest and mo...'

Her thoughts were interrupted with the light pressure of a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione," he breathed into her ear. She jumped a little from his hot breath. She felt his other hand on her other shoulder. He tried to turn her to face him but she resisted.

"Hermione, just look at me. Please," he pleaded.

Hermione sighed and slowly turned around, but avoided looking into his eyes. She couldn't look at the face of the man she once loved, still loved.

_"Look at me Hermione," he said. She looked at the face she touched and kissed so many times. 'He hasn't changed at all,' she thought to herself. He still had those stormy gray eyes but they seemed sadder than she remembered and his face looked older than usual. "Hello Remus," she managed._

"Hello Hermione," Remus answered. He looked into her honey eyes, lifted his hand to her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I missed you."

Hermione looked away from his eyes, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. She didn't know what to say.

_'How can he miss me? I broke his heart last year and I...' Her thoughts were cut short by the softness of his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, finding herself in a blissful moment, one that she had wanted for a year. She wrapped her arms around Remus's neck. She felt his hands slide down to her hips, and she didn't protest. She loved this closeness with him. She had longed it for twelve months; three hundred sixty-five days; eight thousand seven hundred sixty hours; five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. Not like she really was keeping track._

To her dismay, he pulled away, breaking the kiss.

"I will always love you," he said, resting his hand on the side of her face. He noticed tears in her eyes. He wiped a stray tear away from her cheek. Before she could say anything, he kissed her once more and left.

Hermione woke up with a start. The dream felt so real to her, but she didn't know what it meant. She couldn't even recognize whom the face she saw in her dream.

_"God, why do I keep having this dream," she muttered. She turned onto her side, and pulled the sheets up to her chin and nuzzled into her pillow. Before she knew it, she was drifting off into a dreamless slumber._


	2. Chapter 1

Remus Lupin awoke abruptly. He put his hand to his forehead, feeling the perspiration forming. He couldn't believe the dream he had just had. It wasn't the first time he had dreamt it, not was it the first time it got him to come out of his sleep. He swung his legs over the bedside to sit up. He rested his elbows on his thighs, resting his head in his hand and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms.

He sighed and rolled his neck around, getting the stiffness out. _'Before I can go anywhere, I have to find a pair of clean pants...there is no way I'm walking around exposed. Who am I kidding? I live by myself,' _thought Remus as he bent down and picked up a pair of boxers off the floor, pulled them on, and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the water and splashed his face with the cool water.

_'It's not suppose to be like this,' _he thought to himself. _'Why am I dreaming this dream? I'm not suppose to have feelings like these...especially towards _her_. This is irrational; completely crazy!'  
_  
He looked up into mirror. His face seemed to have aged more in the past year. With Voldemort back and powerful, and Sirius gone, everyone was strained, but to his dismay, the strain and anxiety seemed to have taken life away from his features. His stubble was grown out so much that it could almost past as a beard, his eyes were bloodshot, surrounded by dark circles. Even his face was ashen.

_'I need to get a hold of her before things turn bad,'_ Remus thought. He knew what would happen if he didn't do anything. He would fall in love with a girl that he wasn't suppose to fall in love with. It would alternate history. He knew tampering with history was dangerous; he had told her that before. But what happened, or is going to happen, was an accident. She didn't ask for it to happen; neither did he. But he knew if he changed what was going to happen, what the world, as he knows it of today, would be a disaster.

_'But if I don't stop her... She doesn't need the confusion and I don't need the pain,'_ Remus thought resentfully. _"But...if I do try to stop her, neither one of us will be hurting or find ourselves in an awkward situation.'_

Remus rested his hands on the counter and looked hard in the mirror. Pondering his options for a few minutes, Remus pushed off the counter after coming to a conclusion. He knew it might change the past and alter the future, but it was a risk he was willing to take. But he had to get to her in time.

He walked back into his room and looked at the calendar. His face fell at the date: 'September 21, 1997.' Glancing down at his watch. "Shit," Remus muttered. "It's almost quarter after ten. It's too late."

~~~***~~~

"Hermione?" Ron asked, who was sitting on the couch next to his best friend, Harry.

Hermione looked up from her book at her friend. "What Ron?"

"May we ask you a question?" Harry asked.

"Sure, and you just did."

Harry picked up one of the pillows from the couch and threw it at Hermione. Hermione caught the pillow just before it hit her face and laughed. "You know what we meant, 'Mione!" Harry scolded playfully.

"I know what you meant," Hermione said with a smile on her face. "So what is your guys' question?"

"You remember you had that Time Turner back in third year?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Why do you still have it?" Harry asked, holding up a necklace that had a small hourglass hanging from the chain. Ron looked at Hermione with a perplexed expression on his face.

"Okay, one, how did you guys get that?" Hermione asked.

"You left at the table during lunch," Ron answered.

"All right, that was my fault," Hermione said to herself, she then focused back on the two boys, "Okay, and two, for your information I'm doubling up on classes again..."

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "You did that four years ago and you said it yourself that you didn't like it!"

"Ron, I just want to take a few more classes, that's all," Hermione said, putting her book down and standing up. "Are you going to lock me up in Azkaban?" She put her hands on her hips and put all her weight on her left foot.

"Well," Harry started, "it might do you some good staying in Azkaban for awhile." He and Ron smirked.

Hermione picked up the book that she had put down and threw it at her friends. It hit Ron in the shoulder and the two boys stop laughing. "That isn't very funny!"

"'Mione, we're just joking!" Ron said, rubbing his shoulder. "You didn't have to throw this...brick…" Ron held up the book.

"Well, it wasn't funny at all," Hermione stated. She walked over to the boys, grabbed the book from Ron and the Time Turner from Harry, and walked out of the common room into the hall. She opened up the book to read as she walked, when she noticed a folded piece of parchment tuck in the middle of the book. She opened it with a puzzled look on her face.

_Hermione,  
Sorry if this gets to you after school started but I needed to tell you that just to be careful with the Time Turner this year. You never know what will happen when you go back in time.  
Take care,  
Remus_

Hermione smiled and shoved the letter back into the book.

__

'He knows I know the rules. He makes it sound like I'm going to wreck something when I go back.'

Hermione shook her head, disregarding Remus' letter. _'It's not like I go back more than two hours.'_

She had a Muggle Study lesson to get to. She slipped the necklace around her neck and was about to turn the minute hourglass over when she felt the portrait door open behind her, knocking her to the ground. She looked up to see who was there, but everything was spinning around her.

__

'Oh no,'

Hermione thought, _'what happened?'_


	3. Chapter 2

Hermione was still on the ground, looking around trying to see what happened and who bumped into her. She looked down at her watch. _Twenty-five to one... Well, at least I know it still is,_ Hermione thought to herself. She got up off the ground and brushed herself off. She turned towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, but the Lady was nowhere to be seen in the picture. Hermione shrugged figuring that the Lady probably went off to visit her friend, Vi.

Hermione looked down at the ground and noticed her book on the ground. She picked it up and examined it: front cover to back cover; binding to the corners; and flipping through the pages making sure no pages were ripped.

_No damaged seems to be done, _she thought. She looked down on the ground yet again, to see her Time Turner laying there, the sand scattered all over the ground. Shit, McGonagall is not going to be happy, she swore. She then heard footsteps coming down the hall and was relieved by the sound.

She turned around, hoping to see a fellow student coming down the hallway. But to her surprised it was four boys whom she never seen before. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look at them. There was one boy that looked like Harry, except he had warm brown eyes instead of green. One of the other boys was tall with shoulder-length black hair; the other tall one had sandy colored hair. The shortest of the four had a rat looking face and blond hair.

Hermione felt her head spinning. Everything was turning black.

~~~***~~~

"Who is she?"

"Why are you looking at me?"

"You usually know everything, Moony."

"Not always, Padfoot."

Hermione heard voices and slowly opened her eyes. She felt a soft material underneath her. She lifted her head up a little bit, it felt like it weighed more than a kilo and she let it drop back down. She saw the four boys standing in front of the fireplace conversing about her. She shook her head slightly trying to clear the fog that was in her head and rested her hand over her eyes and groaned. Her head hurt a lot.

"Way to go, Moony. You woke her up!"

"It's not my fault that Padfoot here is being loud."

"No, it's okay. Really," Hermione said, trying sitting up on the couch but failed, falling back on to the soft surface. She never had a headache this bad before. She winced in pain as she ran her hand through her hair.

"You fainted and hit your head on the painting. Quite a nasty sound it made," said the boy with the long black hair. "By the way, I'm Sirius, and this is James, Remus, and Peter." He motioned to three boys behind him.

Hermione's eyes opened wide. Did she hear right? Sirius? James? Remus? And Peter ?

"Is there something wrong?" asked Peter innocently. He was fidgeting and playing nervously with his hands.

Hermione shook her head and winced. "This can't be. This isn't possible. I can't be here," she muttered to herself, "How can this be?"

"Excuse me?" Remus asked politely, leaning his head towards her.

"Maybe she's lost it," Sirius whispered to James. His comment received an elbow from Remus.

"I am not crazy," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes. "It's just that I'm not suppose to be here."

"Here? As in Hogwarts?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, but—"

"You are a witch, aren't you?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, but—"

"You go your letter from Hogwarts?" Sirius pressed on.

"Yes, but—"

"Then, you're supposed to be here," he butted in.

Hermione shook her head. "No. I'm not suppose to be _here_...in this," she stated, but stopped abruptly.

Sirius looked at her, and when she didn't answer he looked at Remus. "Told you she's lost it."

Hermione looked up at Remus. He was so different compared to the one back in her time. His face wasn't ghostly looking and it was scar free, and his storm gray eyes showed life for once. She had to smile. He looked happy and carefree. He has all of his friends..._alive_. And James. There was no doubt that Harry was like his father in looks. The messy jet black hair, the tall, slender figure, and the glasses, wire rimmed, round glasses. Sirius looked handsome, far from the one that she had known. Black hair, tall and slender like James, but he had such a playful look in his gray eyes. And then there was Peter. Such a childlike look to him that she couldn't believe that he would betray his friends in time. She shook her head again.

"What's wrong? You keep shaking your head," James asked curiously. Hermione looked at the young James Potter sitting next to her on the floor. Her eyes widened, she still couldn't believe how much Harry looked like his father, except for the eyes.

"I'm...I'm fine," Hermione stuttered, still staring at James. "It's just that my head hurts quite a bit," she said, touching the lump on her head.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital wing?" James asked.

"No. I'm fine," Hermione said, getting up from the couch. She felt lightheaded and almost fell to the ground, but Remus was able to catch her before she hit the hard floor.

"Take it easy miss. You did hit your head you know," Remus said softly into her ear. She shivered and felt even more lightheaded from the feeling of his hot breath and his lips so close to her. She let him help her sit back down on the couch.

"Maybe we should take her to Madam Ecclestone," Sirius suggested, "I mean, she almost fainted right there, not to mention, she's talking to herself, sure sign she's lost it."

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus scolded, facing Sirius. Sirius merely shrugged and leaned against the fireplace. Remus turned back to Hermione, knelt down so he was eye level. "You sure you're alright?"

Hermione looked into his eyes, reached down inside of her robes and pulled out the time turner. "No I am not alright and I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore at once. I have something important to talk to him about. I have had an accident with magic," she said. She pointed to the time turner, but only Remus saw her gesture.

"With what?" Peter asked, the second time he spoke since she's been conscience.

"Nothing," Remus said. He took the minute hourglass into his fingers, handling it gently. He let it go, and nodded. "Well, then, we must see him at once, after you have been to the hospital wing."

"I think my fingers slipped and it hit the ground..." She whispered low enough for only Remus to hear.

Her eyes started to sting with tears, but she held them back and looked down in her lap.

Sirius raised his eyebrows, Peter remained silent, and James looked at Remus. Remus knew what he was trying to say to him and took a ridged breath.

"Hey, c'mon now," Remus said soothingly. He put his fingers under her chin and lifter her head so she could look at him. "You will be able to go back. We'll help you. But first, what's your name?"

Hermione sniffed softly and answered, "Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"Well, Hermione Granger, let's see you off to the hospital wing then we shall see about Dumbledore." Remus outstretched his hand and she took it. He helped her up and led her out of the portrait hole and down the hallway.


	4. Chapter 3

Remus watched as Hermione leaned back against the couch. He could tell that she was overwhelmed with the information of what she said has happened. He would have to agree with that. If he traveled a good twenty or so years back into time, he would be overwhelmed too.

When she came back from Dumbledore's, she told the other boys that she would just sleep on the couch and that they should go to bed, considering it was late. Remus, however, had stay behind, telling the guys that he wanted to make sure she was all right. He knew she was lying when she said she was fine.

She was a little upset after her talk with Dumbledore, though he did not know how the conversation went, per se, since he stayed at the entrance of the office and behind enough so he won't eavesdrop on them. But he figured much of the fact that Dumbledore did not know a way of sending her back to her time, and Remus knew for a fact that time tuners have only been around for less then a year now, according to this time.

"You don't have to stay with me," Hermione said, looking up at Remus.

Remus sighed and sat down next to her on the couch. "I know I don't have to, but I want to. I just want to know if you're all right."

Hermione shook her head and said, "I'm fine, Remus. Really."

Remus looked at her and whispered, "Bullshit."

Hermione looked at him with her eyes widened with surprised. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Bullshit. You're not all right." He looked down at his hands. He couldn't look at her and call her bluff at the same time.

Hermione was still looking at him, not believe he just tried to call on her. It was something that Harry or Ron would have done. A smile slowly crept on her face. She knew he meant well.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked, almost inautible.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he repeated.

Hermione looked at him smiled brightly. She nodded her response. Remus got up off the couch and held out his hand. She took it and he gently pulled her to her feet.

~~~***~~~

They walked around the grounds with the quarter moon giving little light. Remus didn't mind, considering he kept looking at the moon occasionally.

"Don't worry, you have a few more weeks before the full moon," Hermione whispered, looking up into the sky.

Remus turned to face her, slightly stunned by her comment. If anyone knew he was a werewolf, they would run away from him. Well, anyone besides his three friends. "How did you know?"

Hermione looked at him. "I, um, kind of... Well you see.... Sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay. You're just the one to know, besides my three friends, and not run away," he said.

"Well, I'm not like most girls," Hermione said, laughing softly.

"I guess not."

"So what year is it anyway?" Hermione asked, trying to make small talk.

"1977. My last year at Hogwarts," Remus replied, looking back at the castle.

"Wow. Won't we get caught if we are out here?"

"We could, but I borrowed James' cloak that he has."

"Invisibility cloak?"

"How'd you —"

"Lucky guess."

They kept walking, and after sometime, they found themselves by the lake. It was a crisp September night. Slightly chilly, but Remus didn't mind it, and by the way Hermione looked, she didn't mind it either.

He watched her take a seat under the tree by the lake. The light breeze blew her hair into her face, and she moved it behind her ears. Her attempt failed as the breeze blew her hair into her face again. Remus smiled and took a seat next to her, blocking the breeze a little bit. She smiled sweetly, silently thanking him for the barrier from the breeze.

They sat there for a while, just enjoying the night, not talking, just sitting in silence. Remus found it relaxing, sitting under the tree and moonbeams, by the water, and next to girl who was just simply amazing, considering he met her a good eight hours ago. To him, it seemed like he knew her his whole life.

He took an opportunity to steal a glance at her. He noticed a tear on her cheek and suddenly went into a battle with himself. He was debating if he should wipe away the tear or not. If he did, it would be the first time he would be making the first move with a girl.

He finally gave in, and lifted his hand to brush away the tear. Once his thumb touched her face, she grabbed his wrist and looked him in the eyes. He noticed they were red and glazed over. Her chin quivered and he knew it wasn't from the weather. He pulled her close to him and too his surprise she wrapped her arms around him and started to sob into his shoulder.

He wasn't used to girls crying, but he decided to the best he could. He gently petted her hair. "Hermione, I really wish I could say something to make you feel better, but I know there isn't anything to say."

Hermione sniffed and said, "It's fine Remus, really. I just needed to get that out without everyone seeing. I'm not good at showing my emotions in front of everyone else." She wiped her eyes and pulled away from Remus. She hugged her knees to her chest and started to rock back and forth.

"I remember when I was four, my grandparents died in a house fire. You never realize how inconvenient muggle life is until you have magic. But any who, I never cried at the news, nor the funeral or burial. But a week later, I finally cried, silently, in my room in the middle of the night. I was always the child who tried not to let anything bother her." She stared over the lake, and saw the giant squid surfacing the water.

Remus could see that she was trying to be strong, but how strong can one seventeen-year-old girl be?


	5. Chapter 4

Remus took a seat at the Gryffindor table, in between Sirius and Peter, and across from Hermione. He avoided her eyes as he spooned eggs on his plate.

"Had a late night, Moony?" Sirius asked, giving his friend a smile and a wink.

"Yeah, you kind of got in late last night," James added.

Remus didn't answer. He just started to eat his breakfast, trying his hardest to ignore is friends and the look from Hermione, who was seated between James and Lily.

"So?"

Remus snapped his head up to look at James. He was still chewing his food, so he gave James a look of question.

"What kept you last night?" James asked. He looked at his friend with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"What's it to you?" Remus retorted.

"Down boy. I was just asking a naïve question," James said, putting on an innocent face.

"Naïve my arse," Remus stated. He got up from the table and walked out of the Great Hall.

His friends watched him leave and turned to look at each other. James gave Sirius a questioning look, but only received a shrug. They both seemed to be communicating telepathically, when they both looked at Hermione, who was now in conversation with Lily Evans, the Head Girl. Both girls stopped talking and looked at the two boys.

"What?" Lily asked, annoyed that they were interrupting her conversation with the new girl.

"Not you Lily," Sirius answered.

"Her," James said, pointing at Hermione. Both boys fixed their eyes on the brown hair girl.

"_Her_ has a name," Lily stated.

"Fine, Love. Hermione," James said.

Hermione returned the look. She didn't want to know what the two boys wanted or were thinking. She knew how her two best friends were, and she knew what kind of teenagers Sirius Black and James Potter were "back in the day".

"What?" Hermione asked, slightly annoyed by the two. She looked at Lily, asking silently if she knew what they were playing at. Lily just shrugged, just as lost as she was. Hermione looked back the two boys who were still looking at her with wide eyes. Some how the two of them reminded her of Ron and Harry, well James did remind her of Harry no matter what, but either way, it still made her heart break.

"If you two are going to gape at me, and you're not going to tell me what you want, then I see no reason for me to sit here to be your eye candy," Hermione snapped. She was about to get up from the table, when James pulled her back down.

"Sorry," James said, "but please, just sit down."

Hermione gave James a skeptical look._ 'He seems so innocent. Now I know where Harry gets it from,'_ Hermione thought.

She sat back down and waited impatiently for James to talk. Sirius smiled and leaned over the table, closing the space between him and Hermione. She felt a little uncomfortable, but this was Sirius that was doing this. He was always in Snape's face when they talked, just to be intimidating.

She scoffed, _'He doesn't know whom he's dealing with,'_ she thought.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked, a smile playing on his lips. Hermione was able feel his breath on her face.

Hermione saw a glint of mischief in his eyes, and she shook her head. "Mr. Black, if you would kindly back up and give me my personal space," Hermione said, putting her hand in front of his face. "Besides, you have _dog_ breath and it's making me lose my appetite." She smirked at Sirius as he sat back down in his seat with his eyes wide. He looked at James, who in return just stared at Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, come off it you two. I told you that I knew all about you back in my..." Hermione was cut off short as she glace at Lily then finished, "...back where I'm from."

James shook his head and said, "Er---we were going to ask you if you knew what was up with our friend Remus, considering that you were with him last night." He looked at her long and hard, trying to be intimidating.

Hermione got up from the table, angry. "As of matter of fact, I do. And it's you two." She stormed out of the Great Hall hoping to find Remus.

¤**Flashback**¤

Tears slid down her face. She was fighting an inner battle, with her heart and mind. She knew that she had to go back to her time, where Harry and Ron were...where her family was. But she actually felt safe right there in Remus' arms as she cried. She didn't have to worry about the war that was going on back in her time; she didn't have to worry about the pain, the despair, and the obliteration. She tried to force herself to stay strong, to put on a face that didn't show fear and anger.

She was fearful that she wouldn't be able to get back to her time; fearful that she won't get to see Harry or Ron or her parents ever again. She was actually starting to miss her roommates, Lavender and Pavarti.

She was angry for the same reasons she was fearful. But yet, she was angry at the fact that she was with her DADA professor, or ex DADA professor, who she had a crush on, twenty years in the past; in his arms, crying her eyes out over something that already happened and couldn't change.

Remus' fingers running through her hair and the kind words that he was whispering in her ear interrupted her thoughts. Her body started to relax into his, and her mind started to become heavy with fatigue. She knew it has to be late, but she didn't know how late it really was.

As they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, Remus seemed to walk a little too close to her, so she stepped away, hoping he won't take it the wrong idea.

__

'Wrong idea of what? Granger, pull it together. This isn't your world, and you can't be falling in

'Who is simply twenty years younger and has a gorgeous smile and---'

'

Don't go there Granger.'

'Would you two shut up?'

"Are you okay Hermione?" Remus asked. His eyes are full of concern.

__

'Tell him you're fine.'

'But she's not. She's crying and she can't just

'Yes she can. She does it with her Harry and Ron.'

lie_ and say she's fine.' _

"But he's not Harry or Ron," Hermione said, not knowing the words escaped her lips.

"What was that Hermione?" Remus asked.

Hermione looked up at Remus, tears threatening her eyes again. She quickly looked away as a tear slid down her cheek, hoping that Remus wouldn't see.

But she forgot how bright the moon shown that night, and Remus got a glimpse of the tear. He leaned over and brushed it away with his thumb. Hermione grabbed his hand and looked Remus in the eyes.

"I think I better get some sleep. You should too. You have classes tomorrow, and I think I should talk to Dumbledore," Hermione said softly.

Remus nodded solemnly, got up from the ground, and held out his hand. Hermione smiled feebly and took his hand. He pulled her gently up off the ground and they walked back to the castle in silence.

~~~***~~~

Hermione walked through the portrait hole and looked around the common room, hoping to see Remus. There he was sitting in an armchair with his nose in a book. She walked over to him and sat down on the couch.

"You know, you have classes in twenty minutes," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Remus answered, not looking up from his book.

"Your friends care...in their own weird little way."

"Yeah, I know."

Hermione looked at him, unsure what to say next. _'He didn't even look up _once_ from his book,'_ Hermione thought. She looked down at her hands that were resting in her lap. She turned her wrist so she could read her watch.

"Well, I guess I better go and find Dumbledore," she said more to herself, but Remus heard her.

"I thought you already talked to him?" he said, looking up from his book.

"Yeah, I cannot go back, yet, so he is making arrangements for me to finish my seventh year here, in 1977, until he can figure out a way to get me back."

"Oh," Remus said.

Hermione smiled halfheartedly. "You know, James and Sirius are nothing but little kids. I don't know why you got upset with them. You could have just told them truth. Or were you embarrassed to be with me?" She got up from the couch, and started to make her way towards the portrait hole. She was stopped by Remus' voice.

"I wasn't embarrassed. You're a very pretty girl, and I didn't want Sirius and James to be on my case about it. You don't know them like I do."

Hermione smiled. "Oh I might know more than you know," she said with a wink and walked out into the corridor

love_ with your DADA teacher...' _Hermione cursed her sense of right and wrong. 


	6. Chapter 5

Hermione dragged her herself back to the Gryffindor Tower, whispered the password (thanks to the boys), walked over to a couch, and lied down on her back. She couldn't believe that Dumbledore didn't know how to get her back to her time. But he did promise to help her find a way. But she was happy that he was going to let her finish her seventh year studies during this time, to keep her mind from floating off to a place that would make her cry. She closed her eyes, keeping back the tears that were threatening to escape. She was starting to think that she wasn't going to be able to get back to her time; that she wasn't going to see her friends or family anytime soon.

To make matters worse, she started to have this feeling towards Remus. Not like the little school girl crush she had back in her third year, it was a feeling she was trying to force herself not to have. Remus was a nice guy, yes, but she didn't want to break his heart, or have him get the wrong idea that she liked him. She didn't know how long she was going to stay in this time period

But he was sincere when he said that she was pretty. No one has ever complemented her on anything but her homework. Yeah, she would get a "You're beautiful" or a "You're exquisite" from her parents, but never from anyone else, especially from a boy.

She got a pang of pain in her heart. She couldn't pinpoint it, but it was dang close to guilt and shame. She knew it wasn't right to fall in love with someone from the past. She wasn't supposed to change the past when she used the time turner. But with her being there, she _was_ changing the past, which could have an effect on the outcome of the future.

Hermione shifted to her side and stared into the fireplace. The red-orange and yellow flames seemed to pacify her. A tear slid down her cheek, going unnoticed by her. She gave a heavy sigh and closed her eyes again.

_'Might as well get some sleep since everyone is in class. Tomorrow I would join them as one of them.' _She rested her head back down on the couch and she shut her eyes, vowing to only rest for a few seconds, but was soon fast asleep.

**~~~**~~~**

Hermione woke to James, Sirius, and Remus walking into the common room. They weren't the quietest of people. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, sat up on the couch, and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She touched her cheeks absentmindedly and knew that her cheeks were tearstained just by the way the felt. She scrunched up her nose in disgust. It was becoming a nasty habit to cry.

"Hermione?" James said from behind her. She turned around in her seat to face the three boys, but to her surprise only James stood there. She turned back around to face the fireplace. Looking at him only reminder her how much she missed Harry and Ron.

"I'm fine," Hermione replied, forcing her to sound like she said she was.

James opened his mouth to call her bluff but she cut in. "Really James," Hermione said, standing up. "I'm fine." She grabbed her backpack off the floor and walked out of the common room.

James watched her exit and sat down on the back of the couch. He saw his best friend Sirius walking towards him.

"What you do Prongs?" Sirius asked him, slightly amused. "She seemed upset."

"But she says she's fine," James answered.

"Maybe we should get her to talk to ol' sensitive Mooney." Sirius smiled.

James looked at his friend, smiled, and stood up. Sirius and him started to ascend the staircase leading to the boys' dormitory to their friend, Remus. They walked into their dormitory and found Remus on his bed reading his muggle book, Jane Eyre.

"Remus, what the hell are you reading?" Sirius asked.

Remus looked up from his book and looked at the cover. "Jane Eyre, why?"

"Isn't that about a girl," Sirius went on.

"You're point is..."

"It's about a girl!" Sirius stated.

"She's an orphan being raised by her cruel, wealthy aunt. A servant provides her with some of the few kindnesses she receives, telling her stories and singing songs to her. As punishment for fighting with her bullying cousin, Jane's aunt imprisons Jane in the red-room, the room in which Jane's uncle died..."

"Remus, I don't care what the book is about, I just want to know why you would read a book that's about a girl."

"Sirius, are you sexist?" Remus asked quizzically.

"No, but I..."

"Then you shouldn't care."

"Remus, we didn't come up here to insult what kind of books you read," James said, glaring at Sirius, "But we did come here and asked you if you could talk to Hermione for us."

"Why not you?"

"I already have, but she just says she's fine," James answered.

"Then she is," Remus said, finalizing the conversation.

"C'mon Mooney, we know, just as well that you do, that she's not fine," Sirius stated, becoming serious for once.

Remus looked at his friends and went back to his book.

"Remus, she was crying before we came into the common room. Clearly she's upset about something. And when you're upset and crying, that is a clear statement that you're not fine."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because we all know you have a thing for her. Everyone sees it," Sirius smirked.

"I do not have a thing for her. Besides, even if I did, I can't," Remus mumbled.

"What was that?" James asked, leaning in towards Remus.

"I said I can't have a thing for her. It's not feasible."

"English please," Sirius asked.

"It's not possible, Sirius. I can't have a thing for Hermione. She's off limits, all right? Besides, you won't understand. Whatever is going on with her is only between her and Dumbledore. Now if you two don't mind, I would like to get back to my book."

"Someone already claimed her? Please say that Snape didn't ---" Sirius was cut off with James elbowing him in the side.

"Remus, we wouldn't be up here if it wasn't important," James said, glaring at Sirius. He was getting frustrated with his friend.

"Yes you would," Remus answered, turning a page in the book.

"Okay we would, but what does Dumbledore have to do with anything?" James asked.

"More than you think," Remus mumbled.

"Would you stop that!" Sirius said, raising his voice.

Remus set down his book, swung his legs around and stood up from his bed. He walked over to James and Sirius. "You really do want me to talk to her, don't you?" James nodded his answer.

"Fine then. I'll talk to her. But forget whatever is up in that head of yours James Potter. Because there is nothing going on between me and Hermione, never have and never will." He made his way towards the door.

"Never say never Moony," Sirius called after him. Remus just waved his hand behind him and walked out of the dormitory. "Do you think he will actually talk to her? Or is he just saying that to get us off his back?" Sirius asked.

"Both," James smiled.

****

~~~***~~~

Hermione found herself curled up in a stuffed chair in the back of the library. She was reading 'Romeo & Juliet' with the light from the lantern she had suspended in the air by her side. She was about to get to the balcony scene when she heard footsteps in the room. Her head snapped up to see who was coming towards her. She wasn't surprised when she found Remus standing in front of her, leaning against a shelf with his arms crossed in front of his muscular chest.

"Isn't it late to be out? Especially on a school night?" Remus asked coyly.

"Are you going to get me into trouble, Mr. Prefect?" Hermione said, sarcastically. She returned to her book.

'She sure reminds me of someone when she does that,' Remus thought. He took a chance to step closer to her. She had her legs tucked under as she sat there reading her book. He cocked his head to the right to read the title on the binding.

"'Romeo & Juliet' by William Shakespeare?" Remus asked.

"Yes."

"Good screen play."

"Uh-huh." She never lifted her eyes from the book.

"Wow, for an intelligent girl, you don't talk like one," Remus said sarcastically.

"And for as smart as you are, you would know when someone doesn't want to talk," Hermione said bitterly.

"Really? Didn't seem like you didn't want to talk," he said, sitting on the arm of the chair.

"What? Double negatives don't work well on me," Hermione said with a quizzical look on her face.

"Finally out smarted?" Remus asked giving her a challenging but sweet smile.

"Would it make you feel better if I said yes?"

"No, but I bet if I was Sirius and you said that to him, he would."

Hermione laughed. "He isn't that thick, is he?"

"No. He just gets his pride bruised from time to time."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hermione said, smiling and returning to her book. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Hermione felt his eyes on her every second, and finally shut her book and slowly turned to him. She met his warm eyes and he smiled. "What?" she finally asked.

"Nothing," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay. Enough. Why are you here? You didn't come here to get me into trouble for breaking curfew, which won't work because I'm not student here, well, not until tomorrow," Hermione said getting up from the chair. She turned to Remus with one hand on her hip and the other with the book in her hand. Remus stood up startled. He was afraid she was going to hit him that book, and 'Romeo & Juliet' wasn't that small.

"I just wanted to..."

"...to see if I was okay?" Hermione finished for him. He turned his head away from her, slightly blushing. Hermione smiled. "Everyone wants to know if the mystery girl Hermione is okay. They want to know if she is upset, sad. Truth is, I'm not okay, and yes I am upset and sad. But it's none of anyone else's business." Remus slowly turned his head back to her. "I miss my old life, Remus. I miss it a lot," Hermione said, her voice breaking.

Remus stepped forward and pulled her into him. He held her as she cried and he thought to himself, 'Damn. Remember what happened the last time you did this?'

"I miss Harry and Ron. And damn me to hell, I even miss Malfoy," she said into his muscular chest.

"Malfoy? Lucius, the devil himself, has kid?" Remus asked more to himself.

"Yes, and he is just as foul as his father," Hermione said, with a little venom in her voice. It made her feel a little bit better to know that she could feel something besides grief and sadness, even if it was anger.

"Wonderful, a mini version of Malfoy. The guys will love to here that," Remus joked lightly.

"Oh they will also love the fact that there was a Professor Snape," Hermione smiled weakly, pulling away from Remus.

"Severus? Severus Snape is a professor? Oh boy, I think I will keep that little piece of information to myself if you don't mind. They torture that man enough," Remus sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Oh?" Hermione said. She then remember the tense she said. There was a Professor Snape. She hoped that Remus didn't pay attention to her that much.

"Hey, don't get me wrong. Snape could improve on his social skills a little more, but he can be quite decent, even Lily says that he can be a good person."

"If you say so," she said, relaxing after she noticed that Remus had not picked up on the past tense she used with Snape's name. She started to walk towards the entrance to the library, finally overcome by sleepiness.

"So why do you pull away every time I comfort you?" Remus asked as he fell in sync with her pace.

"You're a nice guy, Remus, and really sweet. I just can't hurt you like this. You know, as well as I, that I have to go back. I cannot change the past. Plus, back there, it would be awkward with us." She motioned the air between them. "Honestly, I wish I could be with you. You are the nicest guy that I have met here, and I really like, as a friend. Well, maybe more. No! Only as a friend, nothing more," Hermione finished with her hands up to her face and taking deep breaths.

Remus was hurt by what she said. She admitted liking him, and he liked her also. But they both knew that it wasn't possible for them to be together. It was against the rules. If they ever got together, who knows the happiness or torment it would cause in the future. Remus felt awkward standing there while she was crying softly in her hands. What was he suppose to do? If he walked over there to console her, things would happen that won't be that good. Well, not well in the situation that they were in, but if they weren't in it, he would go over there and hold her close. He sighed and ran his hand through his wavy, sandy colored hair. He leaned against the corridor wall.

Hermione took a ragged breath and brought her hands down from her face. She looked over at Remus. "Remus, I didn't really mean what I said. It's just that we both know that this can't happen between us." She motioned her hand to Remus then to her. She gave a sad chuckle. "I feel like a broken record, repeating all the time." She pushed off the wall she was leaning against and walked towards Remus. She stood in front of him and took his hands in hers. "There's just something about you that makes me feel...You make everything feel better. It could be just the schoolgirl crush coming back, but..." she trailed off not able to figure out what to say.

"Schoolgirl crush?" Remus asked, looking up at her. And for once he witnessed the first true smile that she gave along with a blush.

"Yeah. You were the DADA teacher when I was in my third year," Hermione said.

"And you had a crush on me?"

Hermione's cheeks burned with embarrassment, looked away from him, and dropped his hands. "I was thirteen, and you were, well, older. It's nonsense really. Not like that," Hermione said, quickly adding the last part after seeing the hurt look on Remus' face. "It was just, that. Well, it was nonsense when I was thirteen. I mean, you were older than me. Old enough to be my father."

"About a good 20 years older than you," Remus whispered.

"You could say that."

They stood there in silence. Hermione walked over to the window and stared at the majestic sky. It was cloudy, but the waxing gibbous moon shown brightly through two clouds.

"About four more days," Hermione said, breaking the silence, hugging herself again.

Remus' head snapped up looking at the window she was at. She was correct. The moon was waxing, almost to the full moon. He knew that she knew him in her time, and that he was what he was. But he didn't understand why she talked freely about it, like it was civil. Twenty years couldn't have change society's feelings about his kind that much.

'But yet, she said she had a crush on you. So maybe she understands,' Remus thought.

He walked over towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly at his warm touch. He meant well and was awfully kind to her.

"I should get back to the common room," Hermione said. "It's getting late, and I really don't want to get into trouble."

"I'll walk you back, that way if Filch catches you I can cover you," Remus said, grabbing her hand.

"Filch? Great, just to make my day even better," Hermione said sarcastically but gave him a smile. "But thanks for the protection."

Remus returned her smile. "Shall we go now?" He offered his elbow to her and she took it.

¤Later On¤


End file.
